2.24.2009

Beautiful days lately. Gosh, so gorgeous!Ok, so the best thing I have done in a long time.... going to a poodle rescue center with Gma. We have been talking about it for awhile, and today we DID it. I love seeing Grandma this happy.

2.22.2009

Today was Western Day at TBC. So great, guys. I have been looking forward to it for weeks (seriously)! Church family means so much to me and I love LOVE when we all get together to just hang out. All the kids in cowboys boots were pretty cute, too :) Clay was home feeling sickly, so I ran around with Q.

These cut outs never get old to me.

This was not Quinn's idea.

Cowboy Jack.

Ok, so I really love miniature donkeys. Especially ones names Ginger.

And the piece de resistance:I will never forget this moment shared with Carlos. Never ever ever.

2.21.2009

You would think that with the official countdown now instated that our lives would look somewhat different from what they did before the visas arrived. Not so. The days have been leisurely and long. Filled with family and friends, and a little quilting (I MUST finish before leaving! I need to be able to wrap up with it when I am cold and homesick :) And eating. And TV. Oh! I DID go through the kitchen and pick out some things that we might take with us. It is funny when you examine an entire room of your house and walk away carrying a bottle opener and a Pampered Chef spatula (do any of you have one of these? The little one with the black handle?? I won't leave the country without it ;) Starting fresh is super fun.

Here are some pics from the last week:

On Tuesday Clay and I went to the Egg and I for a late Valentine's day breakfast (since I was sick out of my mind on Saturday :( Their eggs benedict is good, but not NEAR as good as Aunt Barbara's.

Here's Clay tripod shopping.Here's the precious fabric I chose to border my quilt. So cute. I can't even stand it.I love this picture of Quinn. So... accurate.The rainbow that was over our house the other day. I love how whimsical God can be.

2.20.2009

Well, it’s here. The visas have finally arrived!Let’s set the scene, though. Last Wednesday, I (Clay) get a voice mail from the consulate saying that everything looks good, we only need to send in Megan’s passport to complete the process. Sure. Fine… except I ALREADY SENT IT IN!I called the consulate back, but they were closed for the day. I called a few times on Thursday morning, finally getting through to one rep. who took a message and by the time they got back, the consular’s office was locked, so no chance of looking for the passport until Friday morning. They promised to call back some time Friday afternoon, so once again, we wait.

Friday afternoon, 2:30. My new friend from the Belgian consulate calls to say that they have looked everywhere but cannot find it. They even opened the packets of all the other pending visas to see if it slipped in there. No luck. She said they can keep looking, but that it would be a good idea to think about applying for a new passport and that they’d cover the costs. She said they’d get back to me early in the week with a final answer, but things weren’t looking too hopeful.

We had just begun to accept this as the way it was when I got a call saying they’d found it! I wish I’d have thought to ask where, but it didn’t occur to me at the moment. I was just so relieved we didn’t have to go through the passport process again.So, after a loss-of-passport scare and a little time spent waiting, we’re on to the next step! We’re looking at early March for our departure date, but we’re still waiting to nail down a few small details before we can decide for sure. It’s really exciting that after literally years of preparation, we’re now only a few weeks from taking off! It’s neat, too, that a number of our friends from CIT have made it to their places of ministry already: China, Ecuador, Germany, Thailand, Uganda. It’s great to see Believers strategically placed throughout the world!

2.08.2009

I had fun babysitting the Aldises last week. We painted nails:Had an after-nap tea party with two of the cutest little loves:And played in the dirt (not many things have changed since I was little and playing in the dirt with my brothers):The big sisters got home:And all five crashed to watch some TV (so precious to see them all laying around together- siblings are the best):Neil came into town to have dinner with Clay and I on Friday night so we drove into Houston for Chuy's. I have never really appreciated Houston, and maybe it's the fact that we are leaving soon, but I am feeling rather nostalgic towards my home city. It really is wonderful.Ok, and something really funny to me is that Clint and Mel came to town yesterday and brought Quinn's long awaited Christmas present: The Snuggie. It had been back-ordered, so they had Q close his eyes and stick out his arms... So funny. Doesn't he look like a wizard or something?And in other news.... we have just been laying around lately. Just relaxing. I have gotten a little further along on my quilt. I've sewn the squares together and just need to find some fabric for the perimeter.So, not much going on around here. I am focusing on trying to enjoy waiting :)

2.03.2009

What are the Sandozes up to today?, you may be wondering. Well, we have succumbed to something frivolous and time-wasting... we have been watching HOURS of "Heroes" with Quinn :) It all started Friday night, when we decided to rent the first season to see if we could get into it. We should have just been honest with ourselves. When has there ever been a series that we watched and didn't get hooked on? LOST, 24, you name it. So, Heroes it is :) We just finished the season and need to find the 2nd one. I have to say that the best part of the whole thing is hanging out with Quinn. He is so fun. I am trying to get a handle on the fact that the next time I am home, he will be 16... yikes! I will always remember this time- eating pint after pint of ice cream and watching good TV. I am so thankful for this time at home!

2.02.2009

Jack and Shirley Frey had Clay and I, along with both of our families over for lunch after church on Sunday. It was awesome. Shirley went all out on an incredible meal, and they kept us entertained with some of their life stories- they are a precious couple. We enjoyed meeting their black swans before eating.It was so cool. Jack walked out with some food that he put in bowls right by the water, and here they came! They were so funny!Clay also made fast friends with their boxer.A fun afternoon with friends!